


Original Manuscripts: Iron Claws

by eenchilada98



Series: Claws of S.H.I.E.L.D. [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Avenger Loki, F/M, Loki Does What He Wants, Original Character-centric, Original Manuscript, Original Story - Freeform, Romance, Rough cut, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eenchilada98/pseuds/eenchilada98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The original story of Iron Claws, as I wrote it the first time. </p><p>She's a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who never stops. She doesn't have time to look back at her history.<br/>He's a genius billionaire with serious issues. He doesn't settle down and he doesn't work well with others.<br/>She's spent her whole life running from her past. But sometimes the past comes back to haunt her.<br/>And that past is seriously sexy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we introduce our main character in a very cliché way. I'm sorry.

Andra Forsythe watched the scientists below with some fascination. They all looked like little mice, scurrying around, trying to avoid the predator that was going to eat --

"Andra!" he called, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"What, Clint?" she returned, sighing.

"You can't attack them, even for play.  Remember what Fury said about you getting detained?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't thinking about attacking them!" she protested.

"Yeah, you were," he corrected, and she could hear the smirk in his voice, “I’d only have to look at your tail to be able to tell.”

She sighed and stood. When she came to her full height and stood before him, she was only an inch shorter than he was. Her bright green eyes met his blue ones, and a smirk crept its way onto her face.

"And have you been paying close attention to my tail?"

“I don’t have to.  I know you."

Andra scoffed and went to sit cross-legged on her bed. It was annoying sometimes, living up here with Clint. They didn't call him Hawkeye for nothing. That man could shoot an arrow at a gnat 300 meters away and hit it straight-on (she’d found that out from a bet that she consequently lost), and his eyes never missed anything. She couldn't keep anything from him! Still, it didn’t bother her much. She didn’t _need_ to keep anything from him anyway, he already knew it all. They both knew each other like the backs of their hands and despite the certain lack of privacy, they were good friends and enjoyed each other’s company. They'd known each other for years – since before she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. In fact, he was the one who’d recruited her.

The two had worked together on more missions than they could count, but she and Clint rarely got the chance to spend this much time together. It had struck everyone else in the lab as odd how well the Bird and the Cat got along – one wouldn't expect them to – but they only had to look at their relationship to realize that this was something they’d done many times before. That didn’t mean they enjoyed it, though. For the two of them, it was much preferable to be fighting off bad guys during their time together, not sitting in a small room on top of a lab in which nothing happened.

Andra watched him intently for a moment as Clint fashioned more of his special arrows. He was currently working on the kind that exploded a moment after making contact, her personal favorite. They’d had lots of fun with those on missions.

A soft chuckle came from her companion, and she looked up at his face to find him looking at her. "Are you gonna say what's on your mind, or are you just gonna stare at me?"

She cracked a smile. "I'm just gonna stare at you."

"You know; you keep doing that, people are gonna get the wrong idea," he told her.

                “There’s no wrong idea to get.  They know we’re friends, what more would they think?”

                He gave her a half-smile, half-smirk. “Maybe they’ll think you’re in love with me,” he teased.

                “Oh, come now,” she laughed, but when his expression didn’t change, she raised her eyebrows. “They don’t… do they?”

                “Maybe they do… and maybe they’re right,” he said, his half-smirk becoming a full one.

"Oh, ha, ha.  You and I both know better than that.  Now why don’t you go back to your _precious_ arrows, I'm sure they're missing you," she returned, before laying back and looking around.

The Nest, as she, Clint, and pretty much everybody else called it, was rather bland. It had that cold steel look to it that was oh-so-common in all the S.H.I.E.L.D. bases. They'd tried to add some life to it with a little personalization, but it stayed dead-looking. Besides, on their limited, on-the-job allowances, they couldn't do much anyway. The most exciting thing there was the weapons rack that took up the entire back wall of the rectangular cutout – that was what really made it their space. It held every weapon they were allowed to take from the Armory… not to mention a few they probably weren’t allowed to, but had taken anyway.

Andra was just sharpening her dagger when her ears perked up. The scientists below were rushing about and one of the computers was letting off a loud siren noise. Then the sirens of the whole building began going off, amplifying the noise to the point that she winced in pain. She and Clint shared a joint look of tired expectation as Fury’s voice echoed in their com-links.

“Agents, report.”

                They stood from their places, replaced their weapons, and walked over to the side. Both grabbed a rope and grappled down to the floor, walking over to Director Fury.

                "Agents Barton and Forsythe, I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things," he reprimanded them.

"Well, we see better from a distance," Clint defended.

"Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?" Fury continued.

"No, nothing’s happened. There's been no outside contact since 1200 hours yesterday, sir," Andra mentioned.

Clint nodded. “No one’s come or gone.  Its oven is clean; no contacts, no IM’s,” he looked at it, “If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn’t at this end.”

"At this end?" Their superior raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, the cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right?  Doors open from both sides," he explained.

As if the universe wished to confirm what he was saying, the Tesseract glowed brighter and the ground shook beneath their feet. It then shot a beam straight at the platform behind it, opening a portal. As the three watched, the portal’s energy exploded suddenly, knocking them back and blinding them as it rushed to the ceiling. As Andra blinked the light from her eyes, she saw what was left on the platform. A man was kneeling there, who looked to be burning with blue fire. He had slick, black hair and a sort of long, black leather coat. Several agents began walking toward him with weapons drawn. When he stood, he looked to be about six feet tall. His eyes searched the room, stopping only briefly on Clint and herself. In his hand was a long spear with a curved blade that looked to be dangerous.

Fury looked up at him and shouted, “Sir, please put down the spear!”

Instead of taking Fury’s advice, he raised it and shot at them. Clint knocked Fury out of the way as Andra jumped back, all three avoiding the blast. Agents dove at him, guns firing, but he proved to be far more powerful than they. Blue shots from his scepter and knives from somewhere in his ensemble killed the agents quickly and efficiently. Clint stood after protecting Fury, and the man started walking towards him. He raised his gun to shoot him, but his hand was grabbed by the man.

"You have heart," he stated, touching the end of his scepter to Clint's chest.

Andra watched from behind an overturned table as Clint's eyes turned black, then a light, cold, almost lifeless blue. Whatever the dude had done to him, she didn't like it. She watched Clint lower his gun and put it back in its holster. Suddenly, she fought the urge to scream at him, at ask him what the hell he was doing, but since she didn't want to end up that way herself, she bit her tongue and hoped Clint could fight whatever this was. The man moved on to other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, turning them to his side. She surveyed the scene and her eyes caught sight of Fury putting the Tesseract in a case and standing up.

The man froze and turned around slowly. “Please don’t.  I still need that,” he said in a low accent that sounded British.

“This doesn’t have to get any messier,” Fury replied as he turned around to face him.

“Of course it does.  I’ve come too far for anything else.  I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose,” he announced.

Selvig looked up from his place on the floor. “Loki?  Brother of Thor?”

“We have no quarrel with your people,” Fury told him.

The man – Loki, apparently – looked at him with a slightly amused expression. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.”

“Are you planning to step on us?”

Andra stood and walked out from behind the table to Fury’s side, crossing her arms. She wasn’t letting them go down without a fight.

“I come with glad tidings,” he told them, smiling, “Of a world made free.”

“Free from what?” Fury asked.

“Freedom.”

“Freedom?” Andra repeated, not sure she’d heard him right.

He smiled at her. “Freedom is life’s great lie.  Once you accept that, in your heart,” here he turned and pointed his staff at Selvig, turning his eyes bright blue as well, and said softly, “You will know peace.”

Fury tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, you say peace, I kinda think you mean the other thing.”

“Sir, Director Fury is stalling.  This place is about to blow,” Clint interrupted, and Andra wanted to smack him, “Drop a hundred feet of rock on us.  He means to bury us.”

“Like the Pharaohs of old,” Fury confirmed.

Selvig checked on the computers. “He’s right.  The portal is collapsing in on itself.  You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical.”

“Well then…” Loki trailed off, and Clint raised his arm and shot Fury in the chest, walking over to grab his case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is... the first chapter of the original version of my story. Oh dear, oh me, but this is not my best work.
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Actually interested in my story from forever ago? Comment down below!
> 
> \- Emmy


	2. Chapter Two: The Helicarrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which something implodes and our main character gets bad news.

~ _Still in the S.H.I.E.L.D. base with the Tesseract~_

She watched as they walked away, and noticed prominently Loki’s very light limp. He was injured, which showed he could be wounded and possibly killed. Andra took a stance, and pulled her pistol from its holster, cocking it loudly as she aimed it at Loki. The four men stopped at the sound.

"OY!" she yelled, and Loki turned to face her, "Yeah, you with the funky staff thing that took over my friend!  Just where do you think you're going?"

"What did you call me?" he snarled.

"You with the funky staff thing that took over my friend.  Which, by the way, makes me _very_ unhappy," she hissed, leveling a glare at him.

His face contorted into a smirk of sorts as he looked down at her pistol, and he started walking towards her. "It amuses me, human mortal, how you think you can intimidate me with such weak weaponry.  Perhaps you could --"

"Whoa there, cowboy," she interrupted, and he gave her a perplexed look, "Do I _look_ human to you?"

He paused. "I suppose you do not.  Still, you do not frighten me.  I am a God," he announced, his voice considerably less harsh.

“A God that limps?” she retorted, and he narrowed his eyes.

"You are observant for a mortal," Loki mentioned, smirking again, "Pray tell, what is your name, kitten?"

"Depends on if you’ll tell me why you’re here."

“Put down the weapon.”

Andra narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“I will not answer your question if you do not.”

“And you will if I do?”

“Yes,” he answered, his smirk slightly faltering as he shifted his weight.

Andra lowered the weapon in her hand to her hip. “If I do this, you will answer my question and won’t make me one of your… cronies.”

"Your deal seems fair enough,” he agreed, and she holstered her gun, “I am on this world to conquer it, to free it from that foolish lie that is freedom.  In the end, I mean to make this world a better place.”

“Why do you need the Tesseract?” she asked as she kept the hand that was at her hip a little farther back. Clint watched her with narrowing eyes, as if he knew what she was about to do.

Loki grinned. “Because it is very important to my plans.  And now for your end of the bargain."

"I’m Andra," she replied simply, before throwing one of her flash grenades from her belt at him.

Andra squinted in the light, running to Fury. He was trying to pull the bullet from his vest _._ She was glad it was only the armored vest that had a hole in it, and not the Director himself.

“Hill, do you copy?  Barton is…” he trailed off, breathing heavily from pain as he finally pulled out the bullet.

She helped him off the ground and they ran through the facility, trying to get top-side before things got any worse. In the back of her mind, she registered Fury barking orders over the com-links, but she wasn’t thinking much about that. Her mind was occupied by a certain Asgardian.

While she and Loki had been talking, she had noticed the giant, unstoppable black hole in the ceiling getting quite large and come to the conclusion that they needed to get out of there _fast_ before that thing reached full size. Hence, she had left the God standing there with the conversation unfinished. Granted, it was getting to be a dangerous one anyway. There was something about it that haunted her. _Why_ had she told him her real name? Why hadn't she used an alias? God knows she had plenty to choose from. But instead of doing the smart thing and lying to him, she chose to tell him the truth. And she had a feeling that would come back to bite her.

Fury and she exited the building and got on the just-landing helicopter. As they flew out, they spotted Loki riding in the back of a Jeep not too far away. They both instantly started shooting at the car, but nothing seemed to stop it. Instead, they caught Loki's attention and he began firing blue energy bolts at them. He hit one of the rotors and the chopper began to fall.

Andra jumped from the side and landed with a somersault on the ground. As she stood up, she saw Fury on the ground like she had been and the helicopter crashing behind them. She didn't even have to go check the pilot; he was dead, no questions asked. No human could survive a crash like that. Phil’s voice came over the com-links.

“Director?  Director Fury, do you copy?” he asked, sounding worried.

Fury got up off the ground and responded, “The Tesseract is with a hostile force.  I have men down.  Hill?”

“A lot of men still under.  Don’t know how many survivors,” she reported, sounding out of breath and like she’d just barely survived herself.

“Sound the general call,” Fury commanded, “I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that briefcase.”

“Roger that,” Agent Hill replied.

“Coulson, get back to base.  This is a Level Seven.  As of right now, we are at war.”

* * *

_~ 17 hours later, at a port off of the East Coast ~_

Andra walked onto the board walk with her hands on her hips and stopped beside her superior.

"So you're telling me we're going to be travelling around in a giant aircraft carrier?  With the _Hulk_?  That's not smart, sir."

"When I gave you permission to speak freely, it was not so you could criticize, Agent Forsythe.  Trust me, this isn't my idea of the best or safest situation either, but it's the only base we assume could be out of Loki's reach," Fury explained.

"Pardon me, but I don't see how the sea can hide us from _a god_ ," she mentioned.

"We're not going to be on the sea."

"What do you mean?  It's a _ship_ , sir.  It's not like it can fly."

Fury chuckled as they boarded. "Don't be so sure, Agent."

The two walked across the deck and into the main bridge. She walked around and looked at what equipment they had. The computers were of blatantly better quality, that was for sure. Everything was different than most S.H.I.E.L.D. bases, except the color scheme. Cold, steel gray. Typical. She sat down at one of the computers for a moment.

"Don't get too comfortable.  You won’t be sitting there, we’re going to need you elsewhere," Fury said.

"Do I _ever_ sit at a computer, sir?" she joked.

"No, you're an official field agent with a side job in assassination," someone called.

She turned from her seat to see Phil Coulson walking up to her. A smile crept its way onto her face. Phil and she had known each other since she started with S.H.I.E.L.D. all those years ago. He was like a best friend to her, hell, he was a best friend to _everybody_. Even Fury was almost friendly with him.

"Hey, Phil, long time, no see.  How's that girl of yours?  Still playing cello in that orchestra?"

"Yep, she is.  And how's that boyfriend?"

She laughed a short laugh. "What boyfriend?"

Fury cleared his throat and stared at them, effectively killing the conversation where it stood. He walked to his podium and touched a picture. From her angle, she couldn't see it.

"I want you both to go collect someone.  I already have agents locating Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner, and I'm sending you after _him_."

"Uh... who are we going after, sir?" she asked.

"Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man," he replied.

"Right," Andra murmured under her breath.

She and Stark had _known_ each other for a while -- and by known, it was meant that they slept together numerous times and she lived with him for a few months. That was probably Tony's record for sleeping with the same woman, and it was also probably the first time _the girl_ had left _him._ This was going to be... awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it, chapter two. 
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Wondering why in the heck Andra gave Loki her real name, the doof? Comment below!
> 
> To anyone who reads this, thank you. 
> 
> \- Emmy


	3. Stark Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are awkward reunions and a distinctive lack of Pepper Potts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you who are fans of Pepper Potts, like me, I'm sorry. My immature brain couldn't figure out how to handle working around Pepper, who in this version of the story, I simply wrote her out. She doesn't exist, not even a reference. Completely wrote her out of the story. 
> 
> Which sucks, because I love Pepper. She's in the rewrite.

_~ about an hour later, in New York City ~_

Phil and she walked into the front room of Stark Tower. Andra looked around. Everything around her was clean and professional, with no difference between one side of the room and the other. She chuckled to herself; it was so unlike Tony to be professional... or totally clean, for that matter. There was always something dirty about that man.

The two agents boarded the elevator and Phil pressed the button for the top floor. As the realization that she was going to see the man she had randomly left with no explanation set in, she became slightly nervous. Seeing her discomfort, Phil placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She sent him a small smile and he took out his phone. When he put it up to his ear, she saw the caller I.D., and caught that he was calling Tony. Quickly looking down, she couldn't help but overhear what happened over the phone.

"Hello, you have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark --"

"Hey, Stark," Phil said, "We're here on _urgent_ business."

She winced when he said "we're," as she was sure that Tony wouldn't let that slip.

"Then leave it urgent," he replied. "Wait, we?"

Phil looked at her. "Never mind that.  Coming up."

As he hung up the phone, she sighed, "Did you really _have_ to say 'we?'"

He gave her a smile, "It's better than lying to him and having you be a surprise."

Andra crossed her arms, "We're spies, Phil.  It's _our job_ to lie."

The elevator dinged, and Phil walked out of the open door. She stayed behind, hiding from the open view to the flat. It was _so_ tempting to just turn tail and run. Her bravery ran out when it came to Tony, he was one of the few men who could make her nervous. Due to her past with him -- which included actually falling for him in an almost whirlwind romance -- she was anxious to see him again. She remembered watching an interview featuring Tony where they asked about her. He said that he had no idea where she was and that he figured she'd either left or been kidnapped. Apparently, he had filed a missing persons on her, but they'd never found any evidence she was ever there. That was the thing about S.H.I.E.L.D.; if you didn't want to be found, you could totally disappear.

She shook the past from her mind and focused on where she was. In the background, she could hear Phil explaining to Tony why they were at his apartment. After a second of gathering herself, she walked out of the elevator. Tony was standing with his back to her across the room. He looked to be uploading something into JARVIS's mainframe, probably the files on the Avengers Initiative. Surprisingly, the room was devoid of other females. She had almost expected for there to be another woman there that Tony was sleeping with, at least for the night, but he was alone.

Seeing him standing there alone definitely made her courage soar. Andra walked past Phil.

She tapped Tony on the shoulder and purred, "Hello, Anthony."

 He spun around and froze when he saw her.

"Andra?" he asked, stunned. He looked her up and down, in an almost flirtatious way. "Where have you been?  You just randomly disappeared, with no explanation for --" he spied the large S.H.I.E.L.D. symbol on her tank top, "Oh.  So _that's_ where you went."

"Sorry, Tony.  I wanted to tell you, really, but, ya know, Fury woulda killed me," she explained.

"Yeah, I figured.  Next time, babe, don't make me come after you."

"You came after me?"

"I didn't _then_ , but I will next time," he said nonchalantly, turning back to the computer.

She smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck, saying in his ear, "You implying that you _want_ a next time, Mister Stark?"

He turned around, putting his hands on her waist and giving her an identical expression to her own. "What if I did?  After all, you're _way_ hotter than you were before, Kitty Cat," he teased, looking her over again.

She pulled herself from his arms and walked across the room, leaning on the back of one of the couches. "And what makes you think that I wanna come back?"

"You're here, aren't you?"

Tony started walking towards her intently, stopping at the couch with his hands on either side of her and his face close to hers. At that moment, Phil cleared his throat loudly, and the two got the point, Tony stepping away from her.

"We should probably head back and leave Mr. Stark to look over the files," he suggested.

Andra nodded and stood up straight to follow him, but Tony grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Nope, not her.  Kitty Cat's staying here," he stated.

"I don't think Fury'll allow her to stay here," Phil warned.

"Aw, come on.  He can let go of her for one night."

"Tony, I'm not sure --" she started.

"Okay.  Fine.  Your loss.  Go ahead and walk out again," he turned back to his computer.

"Tony!  I'd stay, but Fury's pretty strict, and besides," she added, looking at the large amount of documents on the display screen, "You have a lot of homework."

"I suppose.  There's not _that_ many files, but if you think so.  Though... I could make it worth your while," he tempted her, looking into her eyes.

The room had suddenly became _very_ warm, or was it just her?

"Well... when you put it _that way_..." She placed her hand up to the com-link on her ear and pressed the connection button, saying, "So, _Dad,_ can I spend the night?"

He sighed. "Will it help your assignment?"

After stealing a glance at Tony, she replied, "Yeah, probably."

"Then I want you to stay with Mr. Stark until he agrees to come in.  Send Agent Coulson back, though.  I have a feeling he won't want to be there anyway."

Andra chuckled. "I agree, will do.  Thank you, sir."

She disconnected and walked up to Tony, who had turned back to his computer, and whispered in his ear, "Guess who's spending the night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of these chapters are so adorably short...
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Sad that Pepper isn't here? Comment down below!
> 
> \- Emmy


	4. With Tony Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the romantic leads are - almost - all present.

~ _now, in the top floor of Stark Tower_ ~

Tony turned around and grinned at her, "We're getting rid of Coulson first, right?"

"Yes'm," she nodded, and turned to the agent. "Say, Phil?"

"I know, Fury wants me to head back.  I'll see you... later, Andra.  Have fun!  Well, not too much, but some.  Well... oh, never mind," he muttered, and waved as he walked back into the elevator and went back to the lobby.

"So..." Tony smirked, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her closer.

She smiled in a mock-sweet way and put a hand on his chest, spurning his advance. "You still have homework to do," she reminded him.

"That can wait, this is now," he said in a wanton tone, removing her hand and leaning in.

She quickly replaced it. "Work now, play later."

A smirk graced his features. "Is that a promise?"

"It'll be a void promise if you don't get to work," she warned.

He let her go, if somewhat reluctantly, and turned back to the computer. Andra walked around for a moment, examining her surroundings, before plopping down on one of the couches. There was a large flat-screen T.V. in one of the walls, and before it was a couple of gently curved couches with an oblong coffee table in between them. The wall her couch was facing was completely made of glass, overlooking the whole of Manhattan. Behind her was the wall with the elevator in it, and to the right there was a small hallway she assumed led to Tony's bedroom. On the other side of the room, there was... she realized he was sitting not at a desk, but at a bar with several stools and a computerized counter-top. _Cool,_ she thought, as she laid down.

Suddenly, he sighed and stood up, walking behind the bar to get a drink.

"Hey, Kitty Cat, you want anything?" he called.

"No thanks, Tony.  You know I'm not into alcohol," she replied, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Oh, right.  The whole, 'I can't drink alcohol because it's like poison for cats' bit," he sighed.

"Glad to see you remember it fondly," she teased.

"I can't get you drunk.  Makes getting you into my bed a _lot_ harder."

She laughed and looked at him, really _looked_ at him. Tony was leaning against the bar, with a tablet in one of his hands, reading one of the files. In the other, he held what looked like a straight scotch. He was wearing his signature AC/DC t-shirt and a pair of slightly faded, dark blue jeans. His hair was the same messy, dark brown, almost black haircut, and he had the same goatee that she remembered. She looked at his eyes and found herself staring into their dark brown orbs. There was a smirk on his lips.

"You're checking me out," he stated.

"Maybe."

"Do you want to just head back to the bedroom now?  Because I would have _no_ problem with that."

A giggle escaped her. "Same old Tony, always wanting to get to the good stuff.  You always were impatient when it came to sleeping together."

"Can you blame me?  I mean, I am _me_ , after all.  The world's most attractive playboy."

"Right, I forgot the whole 'attractive' part," she said, mocking him openly.

He gained a seductive expression. "I think I need to remind you, then."

"No, I'm okay," she said, and his shoulders fell. "You can remind me later."

His smile returned and he winked at her before going back to his reading. A few minutes later, he looked up and frowned at her slightly with one eyebrow raised, an expression that usually meant the great Tony Stark was confused.

"Andra, why aren't you in here?  You are part of this, I assume."

"Yeah, I am part of the planned Avengers Initiative.  I should be in there, are you sure?" she asked, getting up and walking towards him.

He showed her the tablet. "It starts with Asgard, shouldn't it start with Andra?  They've got everyone else by first name."

She took the tablet from him and looked closely. "Oh, I get it.  They have every person that's involved in the initiative itself filed by their code name.  Check down in the T's, you should see a 'Tigress' in there," she explained, handing the tablet back to him. "Is there something that the All-Knowing One didn't see?"

"I'm distracted," Tony winked, and then gave her a skeptical look. " _That's_ your code name?  'Tigress'?"

"Hey," she raised her hands to shoulder height as she backed slowly towards the couch again, "I didn't get to choose my nickname, and you didn't choose yours either."

"Good point," he admitted, "but at least mine sounds cool.  What the heck is this?"

She stopped and walked closer to him, trying to get a look at the screen, but he pushed her away and she turned around with a 'hmph!'

He sighed and said, "They have your colorations all wrong.  This says your tail and ears are dark orange with black stripes and black tips.  They are clearly light brown with dark brown stripes and a dark brown tip on your tail only."

"Nice to know you've been paying --" she shivered as he ran a hand down her tail. "Tony, don't do that."

She turned to see a mischievous smirk on his face. He did it again, more softly and slowly this time.

"Anthony..." she had meant to sound menacing, but it came out more like a moan.

"I was right, then.  That does turn you on," he murmured, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her, leaning down just slightly to kiss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This - this up here - this was my idea of romantic in freshman year. God help me. 
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Wondering what I was thinking? Me too. Just kidding, Comment down below!
> 
> \- Emmy


	5. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which nothing is actually explained.

~ _approximately an hour later, on the top floor of Stark Tower_ ~

The two readjusted themselves from their momentary lapse in focus and Tony answered the phone. Andra knew that he was talking to someone irritating just from the sound of his voice. The fact that she had forced him to answer his phone proved to both of them how tentative this getting-back-together subject was. As she crossed her legs Indian style and turned herself sideways to face him, she heard him sigh and say something about a meeting tomorrow that he was, incidentally, refusing to go to. Apparently, it was a meeting with the National Security Board, and he said he had already sent all the members a copy of his plans for the future. It piqued her interest, simply because she knew Tony made weapons for a living, and to hear that he was sending them plans for the _future_ , not for a new weapon of mass destruction, slightly confused her.

He hung up the phone and leaned back on the couch, sighing.

"Is there something wrong, Tony?" she asked.

"The National Security Board isn't happy with me for deciding not to make weapons anymore," he responded.

"I can imagine so.  You are their main source of dangerous stuff to threaten our enemies with."

"I _was_ ," he corrected. "But after seeing my weapons used by terrorists to kill innocent people, I couldn't bring myself to make anything that could hurt others anymore."

She was silent for a moment, and then she hugged him. "I'm so proud of you."

"You?  Proud of me?  Oh, I've _gotta_ hear this," he teased.

"I'm not kidding!" she said, smacking his arm. "I'm proud of you.  You spent your whole life making weapons, it was everything you devoted your life to, but when you saw their secret purposes, you didn't bow to the pressure to make them for the military because you didn't think it was right.  That's a very noble thing of you, Tony."

"Glad to hear at least _someone_ approves of my decision."

"I'm sure I'm not the only one.  There's gotta be a hippie somewhere that loves you for this," she joked, and he chuckled.

"Not sure if I should be flattered or freaked out."

"Flattered, definitely," she decided.

He turned to her. "So, Kitty Cat, you wanna tell me what comes with those ears of yours?"

"Uh... a tail?"

Tony facepalmed. "Not what I meant. What special abilities come with being feline?"

"Oh!  Well... are you _sure_ you want to know?  Some of them are pretty scary, and I wouldn't want to scare you off," she warned.

"Darlin', I'm Iron Man.  You scare me as much as a kitten."

"Hey!  I'm frightening!"

"No, not really."

Andra crossed her arms and pouted. "You're no fun."

He smirked. "I'm _very_ fun, and you know it," he winked.

"You know what?  I'm going to tell you just how many ways I could _brutally murder_ you, Mister Stark, just to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off your face," she threatened.

"Oh, I'd _love_ to hear that," he sarcastically replied. "Go on, please.  I'm _very_ interested."

"Or maybe, I could simply give you a demonstration?" she purred, extending the claws in her right hand and flexing it, trying to frighten him slightly.

"Okay... don't know how you managed to hide _that_ from me, but I never noticed that before," he said, taking her left hand gingerly, and he had a sharp intake of breath. "You don't have _fingernails_."

"Nope.  I can't, or I wouldn't be able to have retractable claws.  Besides, it's not like they're necessary, anyway," she said, shrugging off the disturbed tone he used.

"Any other interesting side effects of felinity?"

"Well, I always land on my feet, and it doesn't hurt to fall from tall heights.  I can fall straight down from a three story building and it doesn't hurt.  At all.  Above that, though, it's painful and I risk breaking something," she started. "My ears let me hear things others can't, like the footsteps of a person up to like, fifty yards away when they're barefoot _and_ on carpet.  That's what _I_ have, but due to S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm good with weapons, too.  Preferably sharp ones, though.  Guns are too loud for my ears, so even though I carry one -- stupid regulations stuff -- I don't ever use it.  I'm pretty good with a bow, though, thanks to Clint."

"Clint?  Who's that?  Should I be worried?" he asked, smirking.

"What?  No!  We're not like that!  He's a friend, that's all!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. Though the idea of being with Clint like that _had_ crossed her mind before, it just didn't sound right, so she had dismissed it then and hadn't thought about it since.

"Good."

Andra paused and looked at him quizzically. "Wait a minute... did you just ask if you should be _worried_?"

"No."

"You _did_ , didn't you?  You're claiming me as your own, aren't you, Anthony?  Only two hours together and you're already getting defensive," she purred, crawling closer to him.

"Not defensive, just... selfish," he contradicted.

"Uh huh.   _Right_ ," she commented as she sat back and crossed her right leg over her left.

"You know you love me," he said, and it sparked a thought in her mind. Andra remembered sitting with him, like this, back when they were together, and responding to that statement with a "Yes, yes I do," and a kiss.

She hadn't remembered being in love with him. All she remembered was that they were together for at least seven months, if not more. And that was just the time she'd been living with him. They had dated for... another month, maybe, while she'd been living in her own Malibu flat. When she thought back to that February, it was because she'd been ordered to locate the representative of a major terrorist organization that was going to be talking to a contact for weapons distribution at a charity ball that she even met Tony in the first place. They'd danced almost all night, but she had refused to let him take her home or buy her a drink. And then, after she'd finished that mission, she'd taken her leave in March and gone to stay in the city for a while, where she had _literally_ run into the billionaire on the beach. He'd taken her out for a date to a simple fast food joint, and then taken her back to his -- she guessed it was a mansion, for the night. That had been the start of a very interesting relationship that included him being kidnapped in Afghanistan and attacked by Obadiah Stane, but that's a story she would rather not remember. After all that, and her admitting -- she remembered this now -- that she loved him, she had been called away in October and left him without saying goodbye. It had been three years since then, and no contact had passed between them. No wonder he was upset with her.

"You okay, Kitty Cat?" his voice dragged her out of her reverie.

She shook the past from her mind, yet again. "Yeah, I'm fine."

One of his eyebrows raised. "Are you sure?  You looked pretty out there for a sec."

"Just thinking." At least she wasn't lying.

"About?"

She didn't answer right away. _Do I tell him, do I not tell him?_

A little voice spoke up in her head, but it wasn't so little. _'Tell him what?'_

_Wait a minute... what the hell?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we actually DO have all our romantic leads in the game. 
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Wondering why this is so choppy? Comment down below!
> 
> \- Emmy


	6. The God of Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is fairly self-explanatory.

~ _on the top floor of Stark Tower, approximately 7 o'clock in the evening_ ~

Andra looked at Tony, her eyes wide and her mouth open.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely worried. She never acted like this, and she can't be crazy...

She shot up like a rocket and ran out to the balcony before jumping onto the roof. She sat down on the gravel and crossed her legs Indian style.

_Okay... so, you're not me, and you're in my head, so who are you?_

_"I am tempted to tell you that I am your conscience, it would be amusing."_

_Higher language, European accent, a sense of humor that's at other's expense, and the ability to talk in people's heads... that fits no one I know... so who ARE you?_

_"Oh, but you DO know me."_

_I do?  News to me._

_"We have met on only one occasion, and you left our conversation unfinished."_

_Met you once, never finished... NO. You can't be..._

_"Oh, but I am."_

_That's not possible!_

_"It is very possible.  Let me show you..."_

Suddenly, she was sucked into a world of stars and asteroids, as if she was dreaming. Before her stood the God of Mischief and Lies himself, in his green and gold armor with his staff, but atop his head was a helmet with huge horns. She thought that he looked like a ram of some kind, and it made her giggle slightly.

He raised an eyebrow and snarled, "You find me amusing?"

"Your helmet is so... funny looking," she said, restraining her laughter.

"If I could hurt you without destroying your mind in the process, I would not hesitate," he threatened, and she merely chuckled. " _Stop laughing at me_!"

"I'm sorry, but it's hard to take you seriously when you look like an earwig," she muttered the last part as she tried not to laugh.

"An earwig?  Explain what this is," he demanded, the confusion on his face adorable.

Wait a minute there... _adorable_? No, no, no, no, no, backtrack... uh... evident. There we go.

"It's a bug.  It's got a long body and really long pincers.  It looks exactly like your helmet," she explained.

"I resemble... _an insect_?" He was mortified.

She nodded. The look on his face was hilarious as he removed his helmet from his head and it disappeared. His scepter, in turn, shrank from a giant staff to a small one. The God walked closer to her and stopped right in front of her.

"Are you now intimidated by my presence?" he asked.

Andra looked at him and didn't see anything scary about him. In fact, if it weren't for the underlying fact that he had taken her friend and the Tesseract, she would have found him quite attractive. But that was beside the point.

She shook her head, "Nope.  I don't think you're scary at all."

His features pulled into a grimace, "And I suppose there is nothing more I may do to convince you that I am not here for purposes kind?"

"Oh, I already knew _that_.  After all, you kinda stole the most dangerous thing on the planet, and somebody who's kind wouldn't do that," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Your reasoning is sound," he mentioned, nodding slightly.

"Of course it is.  My reasoning is always sound."

Loki smirked and sat down on a large throne that randomly appeared, and then gestured for her to sit. When she turned to look at what she was supposed to sit in, she saw a large chair that looked extremely comfortable. Andra plopped down in it and made herself comfy.

"So, _monsieur_ , why are you in my head?" she asked; it had been bugging her for a while.

He shrugged. "I had finished my counsel and I wished to verify my thoughts that you had given me your true name."

"And how do you intend to do that?"

"I already have."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

He smirked again. "My entry into your mind is done by a spell.  Spells like this can only be done if one has the true name of the intended.  I tried summoning you, but I could not perform that spell.  Perhaps it is because Andra is not your true name, but a name you answer to and most of your acquaintances know."

"And do you expect me to tell you my real name?"

"It would be useful.  However, if you refuse, I could simply enter the mind of Barton and retrieve it.  Granted, that kind of treatment could destroy his mind," he drawled, playing with his scepter as if he was bored.

A small pause ensued.

She took a slow breath and said in a low tone, "You wouldn't."

Without looking at her, he replied, "You underestimate me."

"You need Clint too much.  He's too valuable to risk losing him," she stated.

At that, he looked up, his smirk falling, and their eyes met. His eyes were a beautiful emerald green that she had never seen in another being before. Hers were green, yes, but around her pupils was a ring of gold that changed the color to more of the color of leaves in the spring.

"Are you willing to take that chance, my dear?" he asked.

She couldn't answer. Was she willing to risk the mind of her friend, one of the most intelligent and talented agents S.H.I.E.L.D. had? Was she willing to risk his life to save her own? Then she remembered what he had said once while teaching her to shoot a bow.

 _"Sometimes you'll want to eyeball it and just take a chance.  Maybe you'll hit it and maybe you won't.  And sometimes not hitting your target means the death of an innocent person.  Do you really want that?"_ She made her decision.

"Fine.  I'll tell you my name," she sighed.

The smirk replaced itself on his face. "Intelligent choice."

"My full first name is Andraste.  Use it well."

"I can assure you, I will," the God said as he stood and walked up to her. She stood to face him. "And I can assure you I will be visiting you often, my dear.  For now, return to your body.  I do believe you have been absent for long enough."

As he touched her left temple, she fell from the other world and back into her own body, which was laying on the roof of Stark Tower. As she sat up, she found the back of her head hurt immensely. It was most likely because as she exited her body to talk to Loki, it had fallen backwards quickly and didn't have the ability to cushion itself. Now the back of her head was sore and so was her back. Fortunately, the gravel hadn't cut her or anything, so there were no physical repercussions of her meeting.

Suddenly, there was a pain in her left wrist. She looked down at it and saw writing appearing on her arm like a tattoo. It read, _A Name is a Powerful Thing_ in fancy cursive writing. She figured it was Loki's way of reminding her physically that he now had some level of control over her.

Andra stood up and walked back inside, sitting on the couch beside Tony, who was having another scotch.

"Hey," he said, "What happened back there?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"No, something happened, because you never act like that."

"Just... about what happened last time we were together..." she lied again.

Her left hand reached up to mess with her ear. She looked at Tony and saw his eyes on her forearm. Before she could hide it, he reached out and grabbed it, reading Loki's message.

"When did this happen?  You didn't have that when you were in here earlier," he stated.

"No, I've had it for a while.  I got it about a year ago." More lies.

"But it wasn't there earlier.  I would've noticed it, Kitty Cat."

"You must not have been paying close enough attention, then.  It's been here all day, and all of every day since I got it.  Tattoos don't just randomly appear and disappear, Tony."

He looked her in the eyes and said, in a measured and flat voice, "Why don't you stop lying to me and tell me where this came from?"  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, Tony being observant? And our character now has a tattoo. What do we think, ladies and gentlemen?
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Thinking that my timing is oddly specific? Comment down below!  
> I promise I really do read them. All of them.
> 
> \- Emmy


	7. Chapter Seven: Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I've been asked about pronunciation a couple of times, I figure I'll make this clear:
> 
> Andraste Forsythe  
> "ahn-drah-stay for-scythe"
> 
> Andra  
> "ann-druh"

~ _on the top floor of Stark Tower_ ~

"Tony, if I told you, you'd never believe me anyway.  There's no point," she tried to convince him.

"There's a point, you just can't see it.  And fine, if you aren't going to tell me, I'll just wait until you tell someone that actually would believe you," he said in a low-tone, and she caught the irritation.

"Are you really getting mad about this?"

"What, you expect me to be happy?"

Andra heaved a heavy sigh. "No, but I'd like it if you'd stop getting irritated."

"And how do you suppose I do that?" he almost snapped at her.

Her ears flattened back and she gave him a look of annoyance. "First of all, drop the snippy attitude.  It's getting on my nerves.  And just forget this whole tattoo thing ever happened.  I'll explain it later.  And Tony... can we just leave the past behind us?  You asked me to stay, but you won't get over me leaving you."

"Oh, I'm already over it."

"No, you obviously aren't, or you wouldn't be bringing it up."

"You're the one who brought it up."

"You've been bringing it up since I got here.  You mentioned it first."

"Whatever you wanna believe, Kitty Cat."

She let out a pent-up breath and it hissed between her teeth. Her green eyes bored into his as she glared at him, her pupils mere slits in the middle.

"Can you please stop acting like a hormone-crazed, teenage girl?"

"I am not acting like a teenage girl."

Her head lolled back and she drug a hand through her hair. "Okay, forget I said that.  Can we both just get over this and move on?  I don't want to spend the whole night arguing with you."

Tony nodded mutely as he got up and poured himself another scotch. He stood behind the counter and sipped it quietly before looking her in the eyes.

"So, Andra, what would you like to do?"

"I honestly don't know.  What about you?"

"I have one idea..."

Her hand moved to her knee and she raised her head to stare fully into his eyes, which now held a glimmer of mischief. That could only mean one thing. She couldn't stop her mouth from stretching into a smile as she thought about what he was implying.

"You sure about that, Mr. Stark?  Don't you remember how dangerous I am?"

"Oh, I remember," he mentioned, and took another sip of his drink. "Can't say I'm not looking forward to it."

"Really?" Her smile became a smirk.

"Really," he returned, their eyes locking again.

She got up and stood there before him, tail swishing back and forth. "I'm waiting."

"Follow me," he commanded, and the two entered the elevator, his arm resting at her waist. "JARVIS, if anyone asks for me or Andra, tell them we're... busy."

"Busy doing what, sir?" JARVIS's metallic voice asked.

"Anything.  You're the super-computer, come up with something."

She chuckled. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Forsythe?"

"Tell them we're out somewhere drinking.  That should buy us some time, at least," she rationalized.

"Very well, Miss Forsythe.  I shall tell anyone who asks for either one of you that you both are out drinking."

"Thanks."

Tony gave her a look that she didn't catch.

"What?" she asked, turning her head to him.

"You're very good at lying, you know that?"

"Well, it's kinda my job..."

"Right.  S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lie about everything, don't they?" his voice didn't sound approving.

"Telling the truth can get us killed and the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. exposed.  We can't risk the nation's most powerful secrets getting into the wrong hands," she explained.

He nodded and she could tell he still didn't like the fact that she lied for a living. It meant she could lie to him at any moment -- hell, she already had. He'd caught one of the lies, but not the others, thank God. Besides, it wasn't important that he knew everything. She'd be explaining it all to Fury later anyway, and hopefully he'd be there when it happened.

The elevator came to a stop and they walked out into his mechanics shop and garage. Tony knew for a fact she loved it down here because every time they were here together, they did something amazing. And not sexually, but intellectually. The two, if working together, could make the most advanced inventions in the world, and it fascinated her. The gleam in her eyes when she created something or had an epiphany was the best thing he'd ever seen. When she got an idea, oh... stand back, 'cause that girl was gonna be on a roll, and her tail would not stay still. Not only that, but she loved his music, which was just another bonus. He could play it as loud as he wanted and she'd just be telling him to turn it up. Tony released her waist and caught the sparkle in her eye as she looked at the blueprints on the screen in front of her.

As she flipped through the plans, one in particular caught her eye. It was the plans for an Iron Man suit that was the size of a briefcase and there were two mentioned bracelets. She looked over the plans and then turned to its mastermind.

"Okay, explain the expandable suit to me." She slipped herself to where she was sitting on the worktable across from his.

Without turning around, he said, "Well, let's say I were to fall out of the Tower.  With the Mark 7, it deploys itself and flies after me.  A sensor on it checks for the two bracelets and instantly decides how to attach to me.  Then basically I get the Suit on in midair.  Cool, no?"

"I have to say so.  Not that the invention of the Iron Man suit itself wasn't cool enough, here you go improving it.  You just cannot get enough, can you, Tony?"

"Of you?  Never," he quipped, sending her a wink, then turning back to the worktable.

"Ha ha, very funny.  Now that we know you're dying to get in my pants --"

"I thought we already had that established," he interrupted.

"Well, you've reminded us," she teased.

"Would you like another reminder?"

Tony got up and walked over to her, positioning himself between her legs and putting one hand on either side of her. Her hands rested on his shoulders gently, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer by the waist. Both leaned in and their lips met. Andra had a wave of energy as she remembered how good it felt to kiss this man. The kiss was passionate, sensual and desirous, neither one wanting the other to pull away for fear the moment would be ruined. She wrapped her legs around his torso and he grabbed her off the table, carrying her to the elevator and placing her against the wall.

Her whole body felt good, and she never wanted it to end. As they reached the top floor, he hoisted her up again and carried her into his bedroom. They laid on the bed and he positioned himself on top of her. This was going to be a long night.

"Sir, there's a call for you from S.H.I.E.L.D.," JARVIS's cold voice mentioned.

Tony broke the kiss and quickly said, "Tell them I'm busy, and JARVIS?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Go on mute till morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long! It's crazy how long I've gone without updating this... hell, I have the whole thing written... I feel horrible!
> 
> I'm gonna try and update as much as I can tonight, and we'll see where that gets us. 
> 
> Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/eenchilada98  
> Tumblr: http://clawsofshield.tumblr.com/  
> Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eenchilada98/
> 
> \- Emmy


	8. Chapter Eight: We Found Him

~ _the next morning, at around 7 am, in Tony's bedroom, on the top floor of Stark Tower_ ~

Andra woke up and stretched. She felt a presence beside her and turned to see Tony laying there with his hands under his head, staring at the ceiling. A smile crept onto her face as she rolled over and her arm slinked across his chest, pulling them closer together. His right arm positioned itself around her.

She hummed pleasantly as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Good morning, Tony."

He placed a small kiss on the top of her head and held her ear between his lips in a fake bite. A sigh brushed over her ears and she gave a shuttering breath. The ear was released and she smiled.

"Good morning, Kitty Cat," he muttered sleepily.

Her head lifted and she looked him in the eyes before kissing him on the corner of the mouth. He didn't respond.

"Babe, you okay?" she asked, genuinely worried.

A sigh answered her. "What is this?"

"What in the world do you mean?"

"I mean, are you here to stay, or is this a one-night thing?"

She laid her head on his shoulder again and snuggled close to him. "Well, that depends."

"On?"

"I know you're gonna hate to hear this, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is gonna want me home today."

He whined, "Why?"

"Because there's a mad man on the loose and I'm one of the ones recruited to stop him," she explained as if speaking to a child.

"Well --"

"Miss Forsythe, there's a call in for you from S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Coulson, and he said it's urgent.  Shall I put it through to the bedroom phone?" JARVIS asked suddenly.

She looked at Tony who was frowning. After giving him a quick kiss, she picked up the phone and spoke as she gathered the pieces of her uniform and put them back on.

"Hey, Phil, what's up?"

"We need you and Stark to get to Stuttgart, Germany ASAP.  We've got a location on Loki."

Her eyes widened and she put her hand over the receiver as she told Tony to get up and get some clothes on, NOW.

"We'll be right there.  Can you send me a jet?"

"Travelling by Iron Man not your cup of tea?" Phil asked, and she could hear his smile.

"Nope, not really," she chuckled, sneaking a look at Tony before she left the room.

She walked into the main room and found her weapons laying on the coffee table, and she proceeded to put them on.

"So, anything else I should know before I check in for duty?"

"Well, both Banner and Rodgers came in this morning.  It was cool, I got to talk to Captain America.  Though, I probably could've handled myself better, I was a little awkward," Phil sheepishly muttered.

"Oh, Phil, I'm sure you did fine.  It was probably just the excitement of meeting your idol.  It happens to the best of us," she consoled him.

"Anyway, have you gotten Tony on board yet?"

"Well... no, but I'm going to talk to him about it in a minute.  What's the ETA on that jet?"

"It's about to get to you, five minutes more."

"Okay, thanks," she said, and Tony walked out of his bedroom fully dressed. "Phil, I'm gonna have to let you go.  Talk to you in a bit."

"Okay, have fun.  Bye," her friend said, and both hung up the phone.

Tony walked up to her and she sighed.

"So, what do you think about becoming a part of the Avengers Initiative?" she asked.

"I've already told them no, isn't that good enough?" he replied, sauntering to get another scotch, which she took away from him.

"You've had enough to drink lately, and this is a decision you need to make _sober._ Now, Tony, please.  Think about it.  Isn't this what Iron Man _does_?  Doesn't he save the world from its foes?"

"No, he keeps my name clean and stops the people who want to kill me.  Anyone else being saved is just collateral benefits."

Her hands rested on her hips. "Do you really believe that?  There are other people who need you, Tony, whether you like it or not."

"Well, I don't like it, and I'm not gonna do it."

"Just because you don't like something doesn't mean you can just brush it off.  We all have to do something we don't like sooner or later."

"Yeah, well, I'm choosing later."

"Babe, despite your own ideas, the world thinks you're a hero.  Heroes don't back out from a fight that helps everyone."

"This one does."

"Miss Forsythe, there's a jet waiting for you.  The pilot has a message for you.  Shall I play it?" JARVIS asked suddenly.

"Sure," she replied irritably.

"Hey, Koshka, I'm out here waiting for you.  Why don't you stop making out with Stark and jump out the window real quick, and stop keeping the Captain and I waiting?" Natasha's voice rang out clear.

"Nat's here?" Andra asked herself quietly, before turning to Tony and saying, "You think about what I've said."

She then turned and ran up the stairs and out to the long platform, which she jumped off of. Her feet touched the metal of the loading hatch and she rolled to a standing position as the bay doors closed. Before her stood Captain America himself, in the flesh. She extended her hand and walked forward.

"Hey there, Captain.  Nice to finally meet you.  My name's Tigress, but call me Andra."

He shook her hand. "Steve.  You're the cat, right?" he turned slightly pink, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me --"

"No, it's fine.  Yes, I'm the cat.  And you're the super soldier," she said, smiling.

"That's me.  Do you anything about who we're fighting?"

"Yeah, actually.  His name's Loki, God of Mischief.  He claims to be from Asgard, wherever that is.  From what little I know of him, he seems pretty arrogant.  Besides, it's hard to be humble and claim to be "burdened with glorious purpose" at the same time," she joked, and he chuckled.

"Any idea what he wants?"

"Nope.  Haven't really had time to ask, either.  If you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Nat," she mentioned, and started moving towards the cockpit.

"Nat?" he asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"Uh..." she tried to remember Natasha's code name, "Black Widow?"

"Oh."

Satisfied that he understood, she made her way into the cockpit and sat down beside her friend, who threw her a knowing and teasing look.

"So how was it?" she asked.

"What?" came Andra's innocent reply.

Nat looked in the mirror that showed her the inside of the plane and saw that Steve was on the other side.

"What do you think?  How was your time with Mr. Can't-Keep-It-In-His-Pants Stark?"

"It was... okay, I guess."

Another teasing look was thrown her way. "I meant the sex, Koshka."

A smirk crossed her face. "Wouldn't you like to know?  Planning a little something for Clint?"

Nat looked shocked and turned slightly red before it faded. "No, and you know it."

"I know that you've got a thing for Birdy," she teased, and her friend shook her head. "Oh, come now.  You can't hide anything from me.  I've seen the way you look at him, girl."

"I owe him a debt.  Nothing more, nothing less."

"Lies!  All lies.  I know you better than that."

Silence reigned for a few moments before Nat asked, "What makes you think that I like him that way?"

"You.  The way you look at him when you're talking, the way that you watch him intently when he's practicing, how you miss him when he's gone; it's all obvious for the trained eye.  And my eye is very trained."

"Maybe he should stop giving you marksman lessons.  Detail is becoming way too easy for you to find."

"If he was what gave me this ability, then he'd have noticed it too.  He hasn't yet, for all we know, so I'm thinking it's that combined with the fact that I'm female and know the signs."

Nat sighed. "He'd probably never return my feelings, anyway."

"That's where you're wrong.  I think he does."

"Really?" she asked, with a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Yep.  But we'll talk about this later.  How long is it to Stuttgard?"

"We should be there soon."

"Okay.  Hey Cap!  Come 'ere!" she called, and he walked over to them. "So guys, I've got a plan..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. I used to love cliffhangers, huh?
> 
> \- Emmy

**Author's Note:**

> Please, I'm going to ask sincerely for no judgement. I wrote this in middle school and freshman year - not my best writing, nor the most mature part of my life. 
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Comment down below! I promise to answer all your questions as best I can.
> 
> Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/eenchilada98  
> Tumblr: http://clawsofshield.tumblr.com/  
> Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eenchilada98/
> 
> \- Emmy


End file.
